1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to outlet box installation equipment. In particular, this invention relates to a snap-in, outlet box holder for use in installing outlet boxes in existing walls.
2. Prior Art
In the construction of residential and commercial buildings cable is usually run along the side of and through studs and joists in the walls and floor of the buildings. After the walls are secured to the joists and studs, the cable is frequently run under a floor, behind a baseboard or between the studs and joists.
After the construction of the walls is complete, owners of the building frequently wish to install additional electrical receptacles, telephone plugs or cable TV outlets. In the past the securing of these outlet boxes to already existing wall has been difficult. To secure a new outlet box, the cable is first run behind the wall, and then pulled into an opening which has been cut in that wall for the installation of the outlet box. The outlet box is then fit into the opening and secured against the wallboard by use of brackets, toggles or flanges. In some devices the outlet box can only be installed if it is placed against the studs of the wall, so that it can be nailed or screwed into the existing studs. However, this method of installation is not always acceptable since the placement of a new outlet box is frequently determined more by function or desire than by the location of existing wall joists. Thus, an easy method for installing such outlet boxes is necessary. Current products on the market for installing outlets in existing walls require cumbersome brackets, toggle boxes or flange boxes which are difficult to install for the layman, expensive to produce and are frequently unstable after installation.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a snap-in outlet box holder for the quick installation of an outlet box in an existing wallboard, paneling or other similarly finished wall cover.
It is another object of this invention to provide a snap-in outlet box holder which is easy to install.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a snap-in outlet box holder which is safe, reliable and effective in securely attaching an outlet box to an existing wall.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description, drawings and claims. The description along with the accompanying drawings provides a selected example of construction of the device to illustrate the invention.